Puzzle or advertising medium.



PATENTED DEC. 27, 1904 F. J. STONE. PUZZLE OR ADVERTISING MEDIUM.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR.1B, 1902.

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UNITED STATES Patented December 27, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

PUZZLE 0R ADVERTISING MEDIUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,382, dated December 27, 1904;.

Application filed March 18, 1902. Serial No. 98,784.

T0 at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. STONE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Puzzles or Advertising Mediums, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing lik part-s.

This invention relates to a novel puzzle oradvertising medium, and has for its object to provide a simple and attractive device for the purpose specified. For this purpose I employ a box or case provided with atransparent top and with a receptacle within the case having an entrance-opening through which it is desired one of two sets of balls should vfreely enter and the other set of balls should be rejected or prevented from entering thereceptacle, or at least should enter therein with difficulty. The halls referred. to may be made of magnetic and non-magnetic material, and the box or case may contain in a concealed position a permanent magnet which has its poles located in proximity to the entrance of the receptacle, so as to attract the magnetic balls and restrain them from entering the receptacle, while having no influence on the nonmagnetic balls, which can enter freely into the receptacle. These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a plan View of a puzzle or advertising device embodying this invention; and Fig. 2, a section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, looking toward the right with the balls omitted.

Referring to the drawings, a represents a box or case of wood or other suitable material which is provided with a removable top 6, of glass or other suitable material. The box or case a may and preferably will be provided with a false bottom 0, of, wood or other suitable material, beneath which is located a v permanent magnet cl of any suitable form, it

ing the entrance to the receptacle. The bust e is suitably secured to the false bottom cwith the mouth f in proximity to the poles of the permanent magnet (Z. tains two sets of balls 9 h, one set, as g, being of iron or steel and the other set, as it, being of non-magnetic material, such as wood, celluloid, or other suitable material or composition of materials.

w The device herein shown and described is especially useful as a medium for advertising pills, in which case the set it may represent those of the manufacture of the person whose name may be applied to the box or case or used in connection therewith and which readily enter the mouth f, and thus signify that the pills of this manufacture are easily taken,

The box or case o'onwhereas the other set, 9, of balls may represent all other makes of pills without discriminating against any particular make of pills,

and as it-is difficult for the metal balls to get into the mouth f owing to the attraction of the magnet the device illustrates the difficulty of takingall pills than those represented by theset 72, of balls.

I prefer to employ the permanent magnet and the steel oriron balls; butI do not desire" to limit my invention in this respect, as theymay be dispensed with and the set of balls made sufliciently large to be prevented from passing through the mouth or of such size as to retard their entrance into the month unless properly positioned with relation thereto. Furthermore, I prefer to make the receptacle after the form herein shown; but I do not desire to limit my invention in this respect, as the receptacle may be of other forms and pro vided with an entrance-opening for the passage of one set of balls.

As represented in the drawings, the most of the iron or steel balls 9 are assembled in front of the entrance-opening f, and by reason of the magnet being concealed the person operplurality of sets of balls located Within said box or case and one of which is adapted to pass freely through said opening into said receptacle and means to restrain the other set of balls from passing into said receptacle, substantially as described.

2. A. puzzle or advertising device comprising a box or case, a receptacle having an entrance-opening within said box or case, a magnet located Within said box or case in proximity to said receptacle and concealed from view, and a plurality of sets of balls, one of which is of magnetic material and the other set of non-magnetic material, substantially as described.

3. A puzzle or advertising device comprising a box or case provided With a false bottom and With a transparent top, a receptacle consisting of a hollow bust secured within said box or case and provided with an open mouth, a permanent magnet located below said false bottom with its poles in proximity to said open mouth, and'a plurality of sets of balls one of which is of magnetic and the other 0|? non-magnetic material, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK J. STONE.

WVitnesses:

JAs. H. C'IIUROHILL, J. MURPHY. 

